Every November, veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces are honored on Veterans Day. President and CEO of FranServe, Inc., Alesia Visconti has a longstanding dedication to supporting veterans, so she was asked to share why the veteran community holds such personal significance.
You have a reputation in the franchise space for building community. One of those communities you have chosen to focus on is veterans. Why are you such a proponent of the veteran community?
I’ve always been drawn to helping veterans, long before I entered the franchising space. While I’ve never served, I have tremendous admiration for veterans. They are brave, courageous. They are special people who put their lives at stake to protect others. Back when I was in the career space and helping execs climb the corporate ladder, I’d often notice that veterans weren’t always appreciated. Corporate America didn’t always show them respect. These heroes would be in charge of major military maneuvers and large groups of people, and some corporate companies doubted whether they had the skill set to run a department. It frustrated me big time! Franchising embraces veterans, respects them and values them. I love it!
Why do veterans make great franchise owners?
They make great franchise owners, franchise employees and Fran-tastic FranServe Franchise Consultants as well! Veterans like systems, and franchising is all about systems. Veterans like feeling they belong to a community, and franchising is all about community! Veterans like teamwork, and teamwork is a core theme in franchising. We go together just like peanut butter and jelly!
What FranServe programs are in place to support veterans?
FranServe is a member of the International Franchise Association’s initiative, VetFran, which is the best resource in franchising. VetFran helps bridge the world of franchising and the veteran population. As a VetFran member, we offer military veterans a 10% discount on our franchise fee when they join FranServe as a franchise consultant. Our No. 1 goal is to help veterans build a secure future for themselves and their families.
According to the Veteran Owned Business Roundtable, an advocate for veteran-owned businesses, “There are approximately 2.5 million veteran-owned businesses in the U.S. generating over $1 trillion in receipts annually.”
Visconti shared that veterans make great franchise owners because they thrive in systems, appreciate the feeling of belonging and prioritize teamwork. In addition, veterans bring certain skills to franchising that promote success, such as strong discipline and focus, performance under pressure and a willingness to lead a team to victory.
To learn more about opportunities for veterans with FranServe, visit https://franserve.com/veteran-opportunities.
Nancy E. Williams